In Fulton County, Kentucky, access to early childhood daycare options is limited, posing a significant challenge for families with young children. Many parents struggle to find affordable, high-quality daycare, which can delay crucial early learning experiences. This lack of access not only affects a child’s kindergarten readiness but also means some children start school without the foundational social, emotional, and academic skills they need to thrive. The shortage of early education opportunities places added stress on both families and schools. That’s why programs like Laugh and Learn playdates are so important—they help bridge the gap by supporting early childhood development and setting children up for a confident, successful start in kindergarten. According to recent data from the 2024 Kids Count Data Book , Fulton County has students entering Kindergarten ready to learn at only 48% of incoming Kindergartens identifying as "ready to learn".

As an innovative strategy to improve early childhood development skills and increase kindergarten readiness with Fulton County residents, the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent partnered with Fulton County Public Library to implement Laugh and Learn Playdates.  

Through this program, participants work on improving early childhood development skills and increasing kindergarten readiness. On average, 8 children are signed up for the monthly Laugh and Learn Playdates.

The Laugh and Learn playdate program is beginning to show positive impact on child development and school readiness in Fulton County. 80% of parents and caregivers of the participants have reported significant increase of confidence in assisting young children with school readiness skills.  62% of young participants showed improvement in fine motor skills such as how to properly handle scissors and manipulate play dough.